Stolen Glances,Hidden Smiles
by xMeme
Summary: A collection of oneshots,ficlets and drabbles involving Prosper/Hornet.
1. I Four Times Hornet Acted Strangely

**The Thief Lord** (c) Cornelia Funke

Written for the sixth IU challenge. Prompt used is **Love is blind**. I tried not to ship them, honestly (I didn't ship them after reading the book), but the scene at the end of the movie,where Hornet leans against Prosper's chest and the hug scene? It definitely pushed my OTP buttons to the max. XD Anyway, this is my first Thief Lord fanfic. This might have some inconsistencies with the book,especially with the characterization since I have left my copy of the Thief Lord at home so I don't have any reference and am writing the characters based on how I remember them. I'd like to apologize for any possible OOC-ness.

**Stolen Glances, Hidden Smiles**

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**I. Four Times Hornet Acted Strangely, According to Prosper**

Hornet,according to Prosper's observation, was lately acting not quite like herself.

It all started one school day when she came down for breakfast with her long, brown hair not in it's usual thin braid. Ridding herself of her usual hairstyle, she allowed her dark tresses to cascade freely behind her while a small,yellow hairclip adorned the side of her head. She had a radiant smile on her face as she settled down on the seat in front of him and greeted everyone in the table with a pleasant 'good morning.'

Ida returned her greeting with a smile and so did Bo, who even muttered a cheerful 'good morning, Hornet' in the midst of chewing his pancakes. Prosper, meanwhile, simply stared, almost quizzically, in fact. Like Hornet was a difficult puzzle that needed deciphering.

"Good morning, Prosper."

Prosper blinked, feeling Bo's elbow gently nudge him on the turned to look at his younger brother.

"Hornet was talking to you," Bo said in a teasing tone, his eyes lighting up in childlike mirth.

"Huh?"

Hornet gave a hearty laugh, her laughter sounding seemingly like glass bells to Prosper's ears. He had always loved the sound of her voice.

"What's the matter,Prop? You seem so out of it today." She cocked her head slightly to the right and looked at him both curiously and teasingly.

Realization that he had been foolishly staring at Hornet hit Prosper like a bucket of cold water. Hastily, he tore his eyes away from the girl in front of him and focused his attention instead on the pancakes on his plate. "I'm...I'm just sleepy, that's all," he lied and even pretended to yawn for added effect.

"Strange," Bo remarked innocently, "You didn't seem sleepy earlier. And didn't you tell me you had a good night's rest?"

Prosper threw Bo a reprimanding glance. Sometimes, his brother talked too much to his own liking. Bo, however, ignored his silent reprimand and went on to eat his pancakes. Prosper saw Ida give a meaningful smile as she stirred her coffee and Hornet was still grinning as she looked at him. The mood inside the room became awkward. Well, for Prosper anyway. Everyone still acted like this was another one of their usual "family" breakfasts. Prosper ducked his head to avoid meeting anyone's eyes and opted to concentrate on eating his food instead.

"Hornet," it was Ida who spoke this time. "I must say, you look really nice today."

"Yeah," Bo seconded after gulping down a forkful of pancakes. "You look so much better with your hair all loose like that." He turned to his older brother. "What do you think, Prop?"

Prosper slightly raised his head. He saw Hornet demurely tuck one brown tendril behind an ear, an action which reminded him of the girly girls in their school, an action which,in his own opinion, was so not like Hornet.

Hornet glanced at him and their eyes met for a few seconds. Prosper looked down on his plate again as if embarrassed. "I think Hornet looks..." he paused, searching for the right word. "Different. Yeah, different. "

He didn't glance Hornet's way after that. If he did, he would have seen the brief expression of disappointment and annoyance on Hornet's face before she went on to chat happily with Bo and Ida about her plans for the day.

The next time Prosper noticed something strange about Hornet was when Bo sought their help on how to ask Lily, a girl Bo liked from school, on a date. A rather enthusiastic Hornet was more than willing to share her ideas while Prosper incredulously stared at his brother as if Bo had just announced that he's getting married. Prosper still couldn't get over the fact that his younger brother was nearing his teens. "Bo, aren't you too young to date?  
You...you're only twelve!"

Hornet rolled her eyes and gently tapped him on the chest using the back of her hand. "There's nothing wrong about a friendly date or two. Besides, it's just normal for Bo to get interested in the opposite sex. After all, our little Bo here is all grown up now, am I right?" She smiled and gave Bo a wink that seemed to say 'Don't worry. I'm on your side.'

Prosper groaned. "Hornet,please. Don't encourage him. You're supposed to help me out here."

Bo frowned and crossed his arms over his chest." I don't know why you're making a big deal about this. Do you remember me making a fuss you went out on a date with Maria Crivelli when you were my age?"

At the mention of another girl's name, Hornet, who had been grinning the entire conversation, suddenly donned a serious expression. "You went out on a date with Maria Crivelli?" she asked him, her eyes sharp, accusing." "How come I did _not_ know of this until now?"

Prosper avoided her gaze and uncomfortably waved a hand in a dismissive manner."Come on, Hornet, it was not that important..."

But Hornet wouldn't back down so walked around until they were standing face to face."Not that important?! You went out on a date with Maria Crivelli and you did _not_ tell _me_!" Her voice sounded hurt, betrayed. "Was she the 'other plans' that you had that's why you were in a hurry to leave when we visited Riccio and Mosca? Was she? Did you really leave your friends behind just so you could go on a date with Maria Crivelli?!"

Prosper sighed, throwing his arms up in the air in exasperation. He was never known for his exemplary patience. "It was not even a date! She just asked me to help her in a school project."

Hornet snorted."Oh, but I bet you wished it was, didn't you?" she asked mockingly.

"Of course not!"

"Liar!"

Prosper knitted his brows together."Why are we having this conversation anyway? It happened _years_ ago."

"Because it's making me upset!"

"Why?"

"I don't know!"

And with that final answer, Hornet stomped out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

Prosper stared at the closed door in disbelief. How could she be upset about something so...so petty? This was not like her at all. Maybe Scipio was right. Maybe Hornet was turning into a typical girl.' Girls are like that, Prop. They tend to have sudden emotional outbursts and you have no idea why.' Scipio told him.

"I think Hornet is jealous of Maria Crivelli," Bo stated as if he had just discovered this fact.

Posper turned to his brother and gave him a warning glance.'Don't start,' his expression said, 'I'm not in the mood for any jokes today.'

Bo quickly understood this silent message. "Okay, I'm not saying a word now."

And he pulled an imaginary zipper over his lips.

The third time Prosper noticed something strange about Hornet was during that one particular day inside the classroom when their teacher was holding a tiresome lecture about the Laws of Physics.

Bored out of his wits, Prosper yawned, leaned down on his desk and rested a cheek against the palm of his hand. Out of habit,his gaze darted towards the dark-haired girl seated two seats away from his right. Prosper liked watching Hornet's varying expressions as she listened to the teacher. It kept him amused and prevented him from getting asleep in class.

That day, however, Hornet was not looking at their pudgy,old teacher at all. She was looking at...him. Him!

Hornet's eyes widened, mirroring Prosper's own surprised expression. Neither one was expecting to see the other glance the other's way. Hornet quickly directed her to attention to the teacher upfront and Prosper did the same. But neither was listening to the old man.

Prosper thought it was rather strange, so strange the way Hornet seemed so evasive lately. Normally, she would smile at him if they accidentally caught each other's glance. She was never like this, never this shy.

Slowly, Prosper moved his head to glance at Hornet again. They met each other's eyes for the second time, but they both hastily looked away as if mentally groaned. Hornet was definitely acting very strange.

But Prosper wondered even more why he was also strangely acting like this, like an embarrassed schoolboy with a crush.

'Maybe , you really were an embarrassed school boy with a crush,' Scipio told him teasingly when he told his friend about what happened.

Prosper simply laughed it off.

The fourth time Prosper noticed something strange about Hornet was when they were out watching the stars on Ida's new boat, which was docked just outside her home. That time Hornet asked him a very unexpected question.

"Do you like anybody right now, Prop?"

"Huh?"

Hornet rolled her eyes. "Come on, don't look at me as if you don't get what I'm talking about."

Prosper leaned back and let his gaze settled on the dark waters below them. "Why are you even asking that anyway?"

Hornet shrugged. "I'm just curious, that's all."

Prosper cleared his throat."Well,I 'd like to practice my right to privacy." He looked back at Hornet to find her with a pout on her face.

"Prop! Come on..." She gently punched him on the arm. "It's just a yes or a no..."

It was Prosper's turn to roll his eyes. "Fine. No."

"No?"

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"No!"

Hornet released a sharp breath. "You are confusing me here, Prop. Is it a yes or a no?"

"No, I don't like anybody, not in the way you mean anyway." Of course, that's not entirely true. Prosper realized just a few days ago that he may be interested in someone, but he was not one hundred percent sure yet. He was new to this kind of feelings, after all.

All the same, he opted to answer 'no' just to avoid more follow-up questions from Hornet. Knowing Hornet, she'd most likely pester him until he revealed a name. He wasn't ready for that. And besides, she simply asked him to answer her question. She didn't really specify that it have to be an honest answer, right?

"Oh."

Prosper,for a moment, saw a dejected expression on Hornet's face.

"Not even Maria Crivelli?"

"No, not even Maria Crivelli."

Then,Hornet murmured something to herself and sighed--Prosper thought he heard her say 'At least, it's not Maria-- before a big grinned appeared on her face. "Okay." Standing up, she dusted some dirt off her pants. "It's getting cold now. Let's go inside."

And she happily left the boat while humming a lovely tune. Prosper stared at her in wonder.

"What was that all about?" he muttered to himself. One moment she was sad, the next second she was all joyful again. Shaking his head, he followed Hornet back to the house.

Girls and their mood swings.

**Fin.**

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Thank you for reading.


	2. II White Lie

**The Thief Lord** (c) Cornelia Funke

A second Prop/Hornet oneshot written for the sixth IU challenge. Prompt used is **Nemesis**. This is what happens when you watch too much Prosper/Hornet fanvideos. Written for fluff's sake, because ,let's admit, we all love fluff once in a while. XD

**Stolen Glances, Hidden Smiles**

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II. White Lie

Maria Crivelli. Tall, slender and strikingly beautiful Maria Crivelli. The one name that leaves a bitter after taste in Hornet's tongue every time she says her name. Maria Crivelli is the most sought after, most popular girl in school. Almost every girl wants to be like her. Almost every boy wants to be with her. Hornet thinks they are all blind fools.

Behind Maria Crivelli's pretty face is a personality that makes Cinderella's evil stepsisters seem like saints. Sly, manipulative, self-centered and insensitive, Maria is a rich,spoiled brat who doesn't stop until she gets what she wants . Unfortunately, only Hornet is able to see the terrible side of the school sweetheart, for Maria Crivelli is an outstanding actress. To everyone else, she appears like an angel who can never do any wrong. But to Hornet,she bares her horns, her fangs, her tail and her pitchfork.

It's right to say that Maria Crivelli dislikes Hornet as much as Hornet dislikes her. And Hornet knows there is only one reason for the other girl's animosity towards her.

Prosper.

Hornet is not blind, nor is she dense. She knows that Maria Crivellis is extremely, head-over-heels infatuated with Prosper. She can't blame the other girl though. Prosper is a lovingly protective brother to Bo, a loyal friend to his peers, a responsible teenager,despite his young age. He is a truly admirable and remarkable person. And she hasn't even mentioned his physical aspects yet!

Physically, Prosper has grown up to be quite a heartbreaker. Sometimes, even Hornet can't stop herself from staring at him. She is still in awe at how he has changed from a lanky twelve-year-old to an adequately-built and attractive sixteen-year-old. She feels like a mother who's so proud to see that her son has grown up so beautifully.

And Hornet blames this _maternal instinct_ to be the main reason why she's so protective of not only of Bo, but of Prosper as well. She only wants the best for him. And in her opinion, Maria Crivelli is _not_ and will never be it.

Today, Hornet again finds Maria Crivelli in her quest to win Prosper over using her charms. She rolls her eyes in disgust as Maria demurely tucks a lock of blonde hair behind an ear while  
giving Prosper one of her signature flirtatious smiles. To Hornet's relief, Prosper seems immune to Maria's advances. He isn't like the rest of the boys in their class who immediately turn into drooling lapdogs the moment Maria smiles at them. But for how long can Prosper resist Maria Crivelli? Hornet swore to herself that she'll never let him fall for Maria's trap. Not while _she _is around.

Taking a deep breath, she confidently marches towards Maria and reaching them, she gives the startled Maria a big smile before linking her arm around Prosper's own.

"Prop, I've been looking all over for you. Have you forgotten we need to runs some errands for Ida?"

Prosper looks down at her (he is still a head taller than her),confusion clearly written all over his face. "Huh? I don't remem-"

"Oh, you weren't listening during breakfast, were you?" Hornet shakes her head disapprovingly. "The bookbinder! We need to get the books that Ida had given Signore Mortimer to repair." She starts to pull Prosper away from Maria. "Hurry! His shop closes in twenty minutes!" She glances at Maria and gives her a triumphant grin. "Excuse us."

"Sorry, Maria. Maybe some other time," she hears Prosper tell the other girl in a genuinely apologetic tone.

Hornet cringes as Maria gives Prosper a sweet smile. "Okay. Some other time then." Prosper nods and looks up front and Maria's sweet smile turns into a venomous glare, directed to no one but Hornet. And as the cliche goes, if looks could kill Hornet would have disintegrated on the spot. But she could not care less. She has saved Prosper again from the freshly, manicured claws of Maria Crivelli. That's the only thing that matters.

And so with the triumphant smile frozen on her lips, she gives Maria a final look and drags Prosper away from the blonde girl. As she walks to the schoolgate, she senses Prosper's gaze on her. She turns to look at him. He is staring at her fervently as if he is trying to read her mind.

"What?"

He does not answer. Instead, he takes a quick glance to their linked arms before diverting his attention the path ahead. The smile that he has been trying to suppress finally appears on his  
lips. Hornet dons a quizzical expression.

"What?" she asks again, her curiosity more obvious in her tone now.

"Nothing," Prosper replies nonchalantly. With the smile still on his lips, he shifts his gaze to the left, away from Hornet's view.

Hornet frowns. Tightening her hold on his arm, she leans closer to his side and gently tugs his sleeve. "Oh, don't fool me, Prop. I know it's not _nothing_. Come on,tell me what it is."

Prosper looks back and sees an expectant Hornet gazing up at him.

"Well?"

He gives an amused laugh. "I told you, it's nothing."

Hornet rolls her eyes and sighs. "Fine. Keep secrets from me then."

Pouting, she diverts her attention to her right. The frown on her face stays for only a few seconds though. A grin creeps back to her lips as she spots a good-looking, young man waving at her.

Marco Giamatti.

Signore Giamatti is her teacher in Literature, who also happens to be her favorite teacher in the entire school. He has just graduated from the University, making him the youngest member of the faculty. A lot of students love him because he can relate very well with them due to his age, unlike the older, much stricter teachers. Strangely, Prosper doesn't like him that much. Hornet could never get the reason why.

"Just because," he told her one time. What kind of reason was that?

"Caterina!"

Hornet stops and removes her arm from Prosper' time, it's Prosper's turn to frown "I thought we are in a hurry?" he murmurs to her ear in a seemingly vexed tone.

"Oh, just give me a minute,Prop." She glances back at him pleadingly.

Prosper sighs. "Fine."

Mouthing a word of thanks, she diverts her attention up front to greet her teacher with a big,pleasant smile. "Good afternoon, Signore Giamatti."

"Good afternoon to you,too," the man greets back with the same enthusiasm. Then, he looks at the boy behind Hornet. "Hello, Prosper."

Prosper forces a smile. "Hello,Signore."

Marco turns his attention back to Hornet. "Ah, it's a good thing I've seen you."

"Why, Signore?"

"The books that I mentioned to you a week ago have finally arrived in the mail. Would you like to take a look at them?"

Upon hearing the word 'books', Hornet's eyes lit up even more. If there is one thing, she loves in this world aside from her surrogate family and her friends, it's books. A surge of excitement fills her as she imagines what new tales she can read from these new books. She opens her mouth to say 'I'd love to'. But Prosper answers the question for her.

"I'm so sorry, Signore but Caterina and I are on a errand. In fact, we are running late."

Marco's smile fades and he wears an apologetic expression. "Is that so? That's too bad. Well, some other time then?"

Hornet, who seems a bit disoriented with how Prosper turned the tables on her, uncertainly nods her head. "Ah,yes, some other time."

"Good. See you two in class."

"Goodbye,Signore," Prosper tells the other man as he grabs Hornet by her wrist and pulls her towards the school's exit. Hornet longingly looks back at Signore Giamatti. Oh, how she wants to see those books now! Oh her and her lies. But wait...maybe she can still fix this...maybe...

"Prop, I need to tell you something."

She can tell the truth.

"What?"

She gathers all the courage she can muster. "I lied."

Prosper does not stop nor does he looks back. With his hand still holding onto her wrist tightly, he continues to pull her along with him as he heads to the schoolgate.

"Ida didn't really give us any errands to go to Signore Mortimer. I only did that to save you from Maria Crivelli."

This time Prosper halts in his tracks and spins around to face her. "Save me? Why do you think I need saving?"

Hornet is expecting Prosper to sound mad or at least, irritated for her little white lie. But for some strange reason, he isn't. In fact, he sounds...amused? Pleased?

"Because she was all over you!" Hornet exclaims. She feels her cheeks heat up as soon as the words left her lips. "She was flirting with you and she acts so nice around you but she's not like that at all."

Prosper silently stares at her for a few seconds. And then...

"Are you...jealous?"

Her eyes widen at his inquiry. "O-of course not!" She tears her gaze away from him. "S-stop joking , will you? I'm just concerned about you, Prop. I just don't want you to fall for someone like her."

Prosper gives a hearty laugh. "Don't worry. That's impossible."

Hornet glances back at him skeptically.

"I already like someone else, you see."

Hornet feels a tug in her heart upon hearing his words. "Oh. That's... that's nice." She forces a grin on her lips. "As long as it's not Maria Crivelli, you have my full support."

"I'm glad to know that, Hornet," Prosper gives her hand an affectionate squeeze. "Meanwhile. I'm guessing that your sudden decision to tell me the truth has something to do with Signore  
Giamatti and his new books?" He furrows his brow.

Hornet, this time, gives a more genuine,albeit sheepish smile. "Well, yes. I'd really like to see those books, Prop. You how I feel when it comes to books."

"I know." He pulls Hornet back towards the direction of the school building.

"Wait...where are we going?"

"We're going to see Signore Giamatti in his office and see those books of his."

Hornet raises an inquiring brow.

"We?"

"Of course. Don't think I'll let you see him alone."

Hornet chuckles. She thinks of this as a great opportunity to get back at Prosper for his earlier teasing. "Oh, is that so? Why, Prop? Are you jealous?"

Hornet expects him to laugh it off. After all, it is nothing but a joke. But Prosper looks back at her and hand moves from her wrist down to her hand and clasps their fingers together. And then, he gives her an answer that simply deleted Signore Giamatti's books off her mind.

"You know what? Maybe, I am."

**Fin.**

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Thank you for reading.


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